Artists in Dialogue “The Obama Portraits Tour”
Jammie Holmes
Photograph by Daisy Avalos, courtesy of Library Street Collective
Bria Lauren
Photograph by Troy Montes
Irene Antonia Diane Reece
Photograph by Troy Montes
Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama, oil on canvas, 2018, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. © 2018 Kehinde Wiley / The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the generous donors who made this commission possible and proudly recognizes them at npg.si.edu/obamaportraitstour
Amy Sherald, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, oil on linen, 2018, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. / The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the generous donors who made this commission possible and proudly recognizes them at npg.si.edu/obamaportraitstour
Artists in Dialogue
The exhibition The Obama Portraits Tour provides the inspiration for this conversation. Artists Jammie Holmes, Bria Lauren, and Irene Antonia Diane Reece talk about the iconic portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and the larger issues of portraiture, identity, community, and representation as they relate to each artist’s own work.
Plan Your Visit This program is free, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. The Obama Portraits Tour is included with general admission, which is free on Thursdays, when the Museum is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
About the Artists (pictured in slideshow)
• Jammie Holmes (Dallas) is a self-taught painter who tells the story of contemporary life for many Black families in the Deep South. His work is a counterpoint to the mythology of Louisiana as a hub of charming hospitality, perpetuated to hide the scars of poverty and racism that have structured life in the state for centuries.
• Bria Lauren (Houston) uses photography and film to bridge social and political gaps within her community and to communicate the true essence of one’s identity and truth without censorship. The intention of her work intersects race, gender, vulnerability, motherhood, and Black feminism.
• Irene Antonia Diane Reece (Houston) identifies as both a contemporary artist and visual activist who creates forms of racial equity in the arts. The topics surrounding her work include racial identity, the African diaspora, mental and community health, social injustice, and family histories.
Safety Guidelines Masks are recommended in Museum auditoriums. In the interest of your personal safety and community health, please observe all precautions set forth by the MFAH—learn more here.
The Freed Lecture Series is made possible by endowment income from the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation.
This tour has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Support for the national tour has been generously provided by Bank of America.
Generous support provided by:
Susan and Fayez Sarofim
H-E-B
Tony Chase and Dina al Sowayel
Joyce Z. Greenberg
Ellen S. Susman
Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones
Merinda Watkins-Martin and Reginald Martin
Reginald and Paula DesRoches; Al and Kim Odom; and Barron and Lisa Wallace